The number of people who ended up in court for knife offences in the West Midlands and Warwickshire dropped last year.

Despite a rise reported crimes, statistics published by the Ministry of Justice show that in 2018 less people appeared in court across the region for knife and offensive weapon offences than the previous year.

In the West Midlands 1,180 offences were formally dealt with by the Criminal Justice System in 2018, compared to 1,214 in 2017.

Meanwhile in Warwickshire there were 132 cases in court, down from 139 in 2017.

A number of those who faced court proceedings were children with 166 in the West Midlands aged 10 to 15, and 162 aged 17 or 18.

A total of 11 youngsters aged 10 to 15 were in court in Warwickshire and 12 were aged 17 or 18.

The drop in court cases is in contrast to a recorded increase in knife crimes in our area - West Midlands saw 2,850 recorded offences in the year ending March 2018 - up from 2,394 the year before - while in Warwickshire there were 254 in the year ending March 2018, up from 215.

Extra money

The figures come after police were promised an extra £100million by the government to help them tackle a knife crime "epidemic" in England and Wales.

However the fund - announced by Chancellor Philip Hammond in his Spring Statement - fell short of the £200m to 300m requested by police chiefs last week.

Across England and Wales last year the Criminal Justice System handled 21,484 knife and offensive weapon offences.

That’s the highest number of offences dealt with since 2009, when 25,103 cases were dealt with.

Some 6,660 of those - 26 per cent - involved children under the age of 18.

The statistics also show an increase in the sentences handed out for knife crimes.

In 2018 the average custodial sentence for adults was 8.1 months - up from 7.4 in 2017.

Offenders are now more likely to end up with an immediate sentence, and less likely to end up with a caution, than at any point since comparable records began.

Re-offenders

Elsewhere, the statistics showed that people who had previously been convicted of knife were more likely to re-offend than ever before.

For just under three-quarters (72 per cent) of offenders this was their first knife or offensive weapon offence - the lowest since comparable records began in 2008.

Click on the icon top left on the interactive map below which charts stabbings across Coventry since February 2018:

As well as the courts, police have also recorded an increase in knife crimes. Between April 2017 and March 2018 forces across the country recorded 40,469 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument.

That was up 17 per cent on the year before, when 34,569 knife crimes were recorded - and the figure has been rising since 2013/14 (25,588 crimes).

Working together

National Police Chiefs' council chairman, Chief Constable Sara Thornton said: “The additional government funding announced is very welcome. It will help police forces strengthen our immediate response to knife crime and serious violence.

"Bringing violence down is a police priority. We know what works to bring down violence and this additional funding will help us to increase the number of officers available to carry out targeted patrols in crime hotspots, increase our use of stop and search and disrupt gangs and crime groups.

"All forces are currently undertaking a week-long intensive operation using a range of tactics such as test purchasing in shops, weapons sweeps and engaging directly with young people about the dangers of carrying and using knives.

"Police tactics alone will not prevent violence however, and the solutions must involve action from government, education, health, social services, and communities themselves."